📚 Study Notes: English as a Second Language - Chapter: Numbers 📏
Welcome! This chapter covers Numbers—a critical topic because numbers are truly high-frequency items; you use them every day for shopping, time, dates, and prices. Don't worry if reading large numbers seems tricky; we will break everything down into simple steps. By the end of this unit, you will be able to read and use numbers confidently in any English conversation or exam situation!
Section 1: Cardinal vs. Ordinal Numbers
1.1 Cardinal Numbers (How many?)
Cardinal Numbers are used for counting quantity (how many of something there are).
- Examples: One, two, three, thirty, eighty-five.
✅ Essential Numbers to Memorize (0-20):
0 (Zero/Nought), 1 (One), 2 (Two), 3 (Three), 4 (Four), 5 (Five), 6 (Six), 7 (Seven), 8 (Eight), 9 (Nine), 10 (Ten), 11 (Eleven), 12 (Twelve), 13 (Thirteen), 14 (Fourteen), 15 (Fifteen), 16 (Sixteen), 17 (Seventeen), 18 (Eighteen), 19 (Nineteen), 20 (Twenty).
🔺 The 'Teen' vs. 'Ty' Rule (Common Mistake Alert!)
The biggest mistake students make is confusing the ‘teens’ (13-19) with the ‘tens’ (20, 30, 40, etc.).
- Teens: Have stress on the second syllable and a long 'ee' sound. (e.g., thirteen). These are numbers 13 to 19.
- Tens: Have stress on the first syllable and end in 'ty'. (e.g., thirty). These are 30, 40, 50, etc.
Reading Compound Numbers (e.g., 57, 99):
When combining tens and ones, we use a hyphen (-).
Examples: 42 (forty-two), 68 (sixty-eight), 99 (ninety-nine).
1.2 Ordinal Numbers (Position/Order)
Ordinal Numbers tell you the position or rank of something in a sequence. We use them for dates and lists.
💡 Key Memory Trick: Ordinal = Order.
The Main Rules:
Most ordinal numbers end in -th (e.g., fourth, fifth, tenth).
However, the first three are irregular and essential to memorize:
- 1st = First
- 2nd = Second
- 3rd = Third
For all other numbers, you use the cardinal number and add the appropriate ending:
- 21st = Twenty-first
- 22nd = Twenty-second
- 30th = Thirtieth (Note the slight spelling change from thirty)
Quick Review: Cardinal = Count (3 apples). Ordinal = Order (3rd place).
Section 2: Handling Large Numbers and Money
2.1 Reading Hundreds, Thousands, and Millions
English uses commas (,) to separate thousands and millions (e.g., 1,000 or 1,000,000). (Note: Some European countries use a dot/full stop instead, but standard English convention uses the comma).
🏷 Step-by-Step: How to Read 1,450,210
1. Look at the number groups separated by commas.
2. Read the first group: 1 (One)
3. State the group name: Million (One million)
4. Read the second group: 450 (Four hundred and fifty)
5. State the group name: Thousand (Four hundred and fifty thousand)
6. Read the last group: 210 (Two hundred and ten)
Final Answer: One million, four hundred and fifty thousand, two hundred and ten.
Important British English Rule:
When reading numbers, we use the word "and" before the final tens and units in British English (e.g., 550 is "five hundred and fifty"). This is crucial for exams.
2.2 Money and Prices
Prices are always read starting with the major currency unit (pounds, dollars, euros) and ending with the minor unit (pence, cents).
The symbol . (decimal point) is read as "point" or simply ignored if referring to money.
Examples:
- £100.00: One hundred pounds.
- £4.50: Four pounds fifty (pence). (Often simplified to "four fifty" in everyday speech.)
- $1.99: One dollar ninety-nine (cents).
- €0.75: Seventy-five cents/euro cents.
Did you know? When speaking about exact change, we usually keep the currency plural, but if the quantity is one, it is singular: "That costs one pound and fifty pence."
Section 3: Practical Application: Dates and Time
3.1 Reading Dates
In the Edexcel International GCSE curriculum (UK focused), dates are usually written in the Day / Month / Year format. When you read the date, you use Ordinal Numbers.
Example Written: 05/09/2024
How to Read It: "The fifth of September, twenty twenty-four."
- The year 2024 is usually read as "twenty twenty-four" (in pairs).
- The year 1999 is read as "nineteen ninety-nine."
- If the year ends in '00', read it as "hundred" (e.g., 1900 is "nineteen hundred").
Quick Tip for Dates: Always use the word "the" before the day and "of" before the month when speaking the full date.
3.2 Telling Time
You need to master both the 12-hour clock (with AM/PM) and the traditional way of speaking about time using "past" and "to."
The "O'Clock" and "Half" Rule:
- 3:00 = Three o'clock. (Only used for exact hours.)
- 3:30 = Half past three. (When the minute hand is on the 6, it is half past the hour.)
The "Quarter" Rule:
- 3:15 = A quarter past three. (15 minutes after the hour.)
- 3:45 = A quarter to four. (15 minutes before the next hour.)
Using Minutes:
For minutes 1-29, we use "past." (e.g., 3:10 = Ten past three.)
For minutes 31-59, we use "to" the next hour. (e.g., 3:50 = Ten to four.)
AM and PM (12-Hour Clock):
- AM: Midnight to Midday (12:00 at night to 12:00 in the morning). Example: I wake up at 7:00 AM.
- PM: Midday to Midnight (12:00 in the afternoon to 12:00 at night). Example: We eat dinner at 7:00 PM.
Section 4: High Frequency Vocabulary for Basic Calculations
In English, we need specific vocabulary to discuss basic mathematics (arithmetic). You might encounter these phrases when dealing with invoices, recipes, or simple data analysis.
4.1 The Four Basic Operations
Don't worry about complex math! We only need the names of the high-frequency operations:
- + (Addition): Plus / Added to
- - (Subtraction): Minus / Taken away from
- × (Multiplication): Times / Multiplied by
- ÷ (Division): Divided by / Into
- = (Result): Equals / Is / Makes
Examples in Sentence Form:
(A) \( 5 + 3 = 8 \)
Read as: Five plus three equals eight.
Alternative: Five added to three is eight.
(B) \( 10 \times 2 = 20 \)
Read as: Ten times two is twenty.
(C) \( 9 \div 3 = 3 \)
Read as: Nine divided by three equals three.
Key Takeaway for Calculations: Mastering the vocabulary (plus, minus, times, divided by) is more important than solving the complex math itself. Use simple sentences to describe the function.
🏁 Final Review and Encouragement
Congratulations on completing the Numbers chapter! You now have the essential vocabulary to discuss quantities, order, money, dates, and time.
Remember these three core points:
1. Practice aloud: Reading numbers (especially those with ‘hundred’ and ‘and’) aloud improves confidence and listening skills.
2. Ordinals for Dates: Use 1st, 2nd, 3rd when talking about calendar dates.
3. Vocabulary is key: Know the difference between "plus" (+) and "times" (×).
Keep practicing, and you will find that numbers in English quickly become second nature! You've got this!